Method of making shoes



Feb. 24, 1 942. w, ALTENBURG 2,274,028

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed May 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ME/WUAJ' Feb. 24, 1942. w, ALTENBURG 2,274,028

' METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed May 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 24, 1942. w, ALTENBURG 1 2,274,028

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed May 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 or the other of two methods.

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 METHOD OF MAKING SHOES William M. Altenburg, Boston, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough 0f Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 24, 1938, Serial No. 209,754

6 Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and the manufacture thereof and is illustrated herein with reference to shoes having short outsoles adapted for use with heels arranged to interengage with such outsoles.

A heel of the type referred to is the subject of United States Letters Patent No. 2,121,172 granted June 21, 1938 on an application filed in the name of Fred C. Lovejoy. This heel is provided at the upper portion of its breast with a channel or groove adapted to receive the rear portion of a short outsole. The heel is further provided with a reinforcing lip which projects forwardly from theheel breast and is adapted to overlie the rear portion of the outsole. The outsole extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe and, as in dicated above, this rear portion is arranged to fit into the groove in the breast of the heel. This interfitting relation of the heel and, outsole produces an accurate and durable joint between the two members which will not open up from the constant flexing of the shoe during wear.

In the construction of a shoe of the type referred to, cement such as pyroxylin is commonly used for attaching the outsole to the shoe bottom. Such cement, as is well known, is applied to the outsole or shoe, or both, and is then allowed to dry. Just before the sole isattached the cement is activated by a solvent to put it in condition for the sole attaching operation. Before this occurs, however, the outsole should be properly positioned relatively to the shoe bottom because after the cement has beenactivated the sole and shoe should be put immediately under pressure. In other words, the positioning of the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom cannot be accomplished satisfactorily after the cement has been activated and is relatively fiuent.

Where the outsole and shoe are to be relatively positioned by means associated with pressure applyingmechanism such, for example, as gages on a sole attaching press, the same condition applies, namely, that the positions of the sole and shoe relatively to each other should be predetermined and capable of being maintained or reing of the sole and shoe relatively to each other has usually been accomplished heretofore by one When the attachment of the outsole is to be eifected in a so-called gageless sole attaching press, that is, apress having no means thereon for positioning the sole relatively to the shoe, the outsole has first been positioned manually on the shoe,'bottom by the operator and then fastening means such as tacks,

staples or the like, have been inserted in the heel portion of the shoe (where the outsole will not be cemented to the shoe bottom) to hold the outsole in proper alinement until it is permanently attached to the shoe. After the fastening --means has been inserted, the relative positions of the parts are insured and the outsole, forwardly of its heel portion, may be lifted from the shoe bottom to allow solvent to be applied without losing the predetermined relation of the outsole to the shoe bottom.

In the case of a sole attaching press provided with sole and shoe positioning mechanism, the full length outsole has had a hole formed in its heel portion, this hole being located on the longitudinal median line of the sole and being ar-' ranged to be engaged by a positioning pin on a sole attaching press. The pin acts to hold the sole in position on the pad and to shift it laterally; if necessary, so that the heel portions of the sole and shoe will be located in proper alinement laterally and longitudinally before the shoe actually engages the sole. In such a press, the positions of the forward portions of the sole and shoe are likewise predetermined by gages before the shoe contacts with the outsole.

' It will be seen from the foregoing that with a short outsole the above methods of determining the relative positions of the outsole and shoe and insuring their return to such positions prior to the attachment of the sole cannot be utilized because the outsole does not extend over the heel portion of the shoe bottom and, consequently, cannot be held by fastenings driven into the heel seat portion of the shoe. Moreover, the relative positions of the-sole and shoe cannot be con-'- trolled by a pin arranged to engage a hole formed in the heel portion of the outsole.

Objects .of the present. invention are to provide an improved method of making shoes in the practice of which the above difilculties are eliminated, and also to provide an improved outsole for use in practicing such method.

To the attainment of these objects and in accordance with one of its aspects, the invention provides an improved method in which a short outsole, terminating in a straight edge a short distance r earwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, has secured to its rear portion an extension or tab adapted'to overlap theheel seat portion of the shoe bottom. As herein illustrated, the tab is composed of somewhat stiff material such as fibre, cardboard, paper or the like which is capable of holding the outsole in proper position relatively to the shoe bottom but is flexible enough to bend and permit the outsole to be lifted away from the shoe bottom to permit solvent to be applied while insuring that the relative positions of the outsole and shoe may be reestablished when the outsole is returned against the shoe bottom. The outsole is first positioned on the shoe bottom, thus locating the tab in a predetermined position thereon, and the position of the tab is maintained until the members are put under sole attaching pressure.

When the outsole is positioned on the shoe bottom manually the extension or tab may be secured to the shoe by tacks or similar means and, in the case of a press provided with sole and shoe positioning gages, the outsole may be located and held in position on the pad by the pin referred to which enters a hole formed in the rear portion of the tab. In this way the predetermined position of the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom is definitely established and insured whether the sole is positioned manually or by positioning means. After the sole has been attached to the shoe, the rearwardly extending portion of the tab maybe removed or it may be left in the heel seat portion of the shoe to serve as a filler. When the tab is left in the shoe bot tom it should be provided with a transverse opening or slot adjacent to the rear end of the outsole, through which the forwardly projecting lip of the heel may pass when the heel is attached.

In its article aspects, the invention provides an improved short outsole having secured to its rear portion an extension or tab of thin, stiff material which projects rearwardly beyond the outsole and is adapted to overlap the heel portion of a shoe bottom whereby the proper position of the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom may be insured while solvent is being applied to the outsole and shoe, the tab acting as a hinge during the solvent applying operation. When the outsole is attached in a press having positioning gages, the tab forms means adapted to be engaged by the heel gage of the press whereby the outsole may be maintained in a predetermined position on the pad and may be moved laterally, if necessary, to bring it into proper alinement with the shoe bottom before the two members are brought into actual engagement with each other.

' With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of an outsole used in practicing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of a shoe with the outsolepositioned thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the heel portion of the shoe; 7

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the outsole lifted away from the shoe bottom and solvent being applied to its attaching face;

Fig.- 5 is a side elevation of the shoe mounted in a gageless sole attaching press;

Fig. 6 is a plan'view of the shoe mounted on the pad of a sole attaching press provided with sole and shoe positioning gages;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the heel portion of the shoe mounted in the press of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the heel portion of the shoe with a heel attached, part of the view being in section.

In practising the method of the present invention a short outsole I0 is provided which is preferably, but not necessarily, molded to conform substantially to the shape of a shoe bottom and which is arranged to cover the forepart, shank and a small part of the heel seat portion of the shoe to which it is to be attached. In other words, the outsole H is of such a length that its rear portion will extend only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe. As shown in the drawings, the rear end of the outsole, indicated by the numeral I2, is substantially straight transversely of a shoe bottom.

In addition to the outsole l0 there is also provided an extension member or tab M composed of thin but somewhat stiff material such as leather, fiberboard, paper or the like, and having a forward portion l5 adapted to be secured to the rear portion of the inner or attaching face of the outsole, the tab l4 also having a rear portion I! which projects beyond the rear end of the outsole and is adapted to overlap a portion of the heel seat of a shoe bottom when the outsole is applied to the shoe. As shown in Fig. l, the extension or tab I4 is provided at its central portion with a transverse opening or slot l6 and, rearwardly of the slot, it has a hole I8 located substantially on the longitudinal median line of the outsole. As herein shown, the edges of the forward portion l5 of the tab are beveled to prevent the formation of ridges on the shoe bottom after the outsole has been attached.

The tab I4 is attached to the rear portion of the inner surface of the short outsole H], as shown in Fig. 1, the attachment being preferably effected by cement so that no fastenings will be present in this portion of the shoe bottom. The tab is located so that its longitudinal median line coincides substantially with the median line of the outsole and preferably also so that the rear edge of the opening or slot I6 coincides substantially with the straight rear edge l2 ofthe outsole. After the extension or tab M has been secured to the outsole in the manner described, the marginal portion of the inner or attaching surface of the outsole is coated with cement 19 such, for example, as pyroxylin, which is then allowed to dry. The outsole is now ready to be positioned on a shoe bottom preparatory to its attachment thereto.

Accordingly, in accordance with one mode of procedure illustrated herein, the outsole ID is placed on the bottom of a lasted shoe 28 (Fig. 2) mounted on a last 22 and having an insole 24 and upper materials 25 which are secured in overlasted position at the heel seat portion of the shoe by tacks 28, these tacks, as shown in Fig. 2, being clinched against the inner surface of the insole by a metal plate 30 on the last bottom. The outsole is positioned on the shoe bottom manually, thereby locating the extension or tab It in a predetermined position relatively to the heel seat portion. of the shoe. In order to insure that the outsole may be returned and reestablished in the position in which it has been manually located relatively to the shoe bottom in cases such as the present where it must be temporarily removed from such a position prior to its attachment, the extension or tab M is secured to the heel seat portion of the shoe bottom, that is, to the insole 2 3 which is exposed inwardly of the overlasted margins of the upper materials, by suitable fastening means illustrated herein as tacks 32 (Figs. 2 and 3). It should be understood, however, that any equivalent fastening means such as pegs, staples or the like, could be used if desired. As shown in Fig. 3, the fastening means are preferably located at opposite sides of the longitudinal median line of the shoe bottom thereby preventing the outsole from pivoting laterally of the shoe bottom and becoming displaced. As indicated above, the material forming the tab l4, while fairly thin, is stiff enough to maintain the outsole in the position in which it has been located on the shoe bottom and to return it to such position after it has been lifted away from the shoe bottom, as will be presently described.

After the outsole has been positioned on the shoe bottom, it is necessary to apply a solvent to activate the cement which has been applied to the attaching surface of the outsole, and usually also to the overlasted marginal portion of the upper 26, in order that the cement will permanently attach the outsole to the shoe bottom.

To accomplish this, it is merely necessary to lift the outsole away from the bottom of the shoe, as

illustrated in Fig. 4, and apply the solvent by any suitable means such, for example, as a'brush 34. It will be seen that in performing this operation, the tab l4 acts as a hinge which permits the outsole to be raised away from the shoe bottom and yet insures that the outsole will be returned to the position in which it was initially located by the operator.

After the cement has been activated, the outsole is returned to its proper position on the shoe and the assembled unit is mounted in a sole attaching press 35 to apply pressure while the cement is setting to attach the outsole permanently to the shoe bottom. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the press 36 may be one of the so-called gageless type having no positioningmechanism thereon for relatively locating the sole and shoe such, for example, as thepress disclosedin Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,098,773, granted November 9, 1937, on an application filed in the name of William C. Card, Jr. After the shoe has been under pressure a sufiicient length of time to cause the outsole to become permanently attached to the shoe bottom, the shoemay be removed from the press 36 preparatory to hav-' ing a heel applied.

Before describing the manner in which a heel is applied, it should be explained that a short outsole of the present type may also be attached to the shoe with the aid of a sole attaching press provided with sole and shoe positioning gages such, for example, as a press of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,047,185, granted July 14, 1936, on an application filed in the name of Milton H. Ballard et al.-

As shown in Fig. 6, a press or pad box of the type referred to in said Letters Patent is pro- Vided with a pressure applying pad 38 and car ries, at its forward portion, combined sole and shoe positioning gages or fingers 4U, 42 arranged respectively to engage and position the opposite sides of the sole and shoe approximately at the ball and tip lines. At its heel end the pad box is provided with a sole gage consisting of a forwardly projecting tongue 44. adjustably mounted on the pad box and carrying on its under side a short pin 46 adapted to enter a hole in the heel portion of a full length sole. The rear end of the pad box is also provided with a V-block or gage 48 having oppositely inclined.

surfaces at its forward end for embracing the .wardly beyond the outsole.

heel portion of the shoe and positioning it relatively to the sole on the pad.

In the use of the pad box of the type just referred to, after the cement upon the outsole has been activated, the outsole I0 is placed on the pad 38 and is moved into a position in which th pin 46 in the tongue 44 can be inserted in the hole H3 in the extension or tab I 4, thereby locating the rear portion of the short outsole relatively to the pad. The forepart gages 40 and 42 are then caused to move inwardly yieldingly into engagement with the opposite edge faces of the outsole, this action being commonly referred to as finding the sole. When the gages have found the sole they become locked against outward movement and, since they also carry gages for positioning the shoe relatively to the sole, they determine the position in which the forepart'of the shoe will be positioned relatively to thecorresponding portion of the sole. The forepart of the shoe 20 is next placed on the outsole I!) in the position determined by the forepart gages 4t and 42, and the shoe heel gage 48 is moved into engagement with the heel portion of the shoe. As described in the Ballard et'al. patent, after the shoe heel gage has been moved into operative engagement with the shoe, a lateral shifting of the sole heel gage 44 relatively to the shoe gage is eife'cted to move theheel end of the sole the necessary amount to bring it into proper a-linement with the heel portion of the shoe. a

The sole and shoe having thus been properly positioned relatively to each other on the pad, pressure is applied to force the shoe against the pad and thereby to cause the sole to be permanently attached to the shoe bottom, this pressure being applied byshoe and last engaging abutments, the latter being indicated in Fig. '7 by the numeral 59. After the full sole attaching pressure has been applied to attach the sole permanently to the shoe bottom, the forepart gages 40, 42, and the heel shoe gage 48 are with drawn from operative position, thereby permitting the shoe and sole to be removed from the pad after the disengagement of the pin .6 from the hole IS in the tab.

The next operation in the manufacture of the shoe is that of attaching a heel which, as indicated above, is of a special construction adapted to co-operate with a short outsole of the type herein disclosed. Before attaching the heel it may be desirable to remove from the shoe bottom the portion ll of the tab which projects rear- This may be readily accomplished in the case of cardboard, paper or the like, by tearing oil the extension adjacent to the slot "5. In the case of a tab of leather or similar materials, the removal of the rear portion may be accomplished by severing the member at the point indicated. However, since it is usually necessary to fill in the heel seat portion of the shoe inwardly of the overlasted margins of the upper materials to produce a relatively smooth surface for receiving the heel, it is not usually necessary in the case of heels having conventional concave attaching surfaces to remove the extending portion ll of the tab since, when left in the heel seat portion of the shoe, it pro- A heel which is the type herein shown is illustrated in the Lovejoy patent hereinbefore referred to. As disclosed in said patent the heel, which may be either a Cuban or a Louis heel, is provided at the upper portion of its breast with a downwardly curved channel or groove 54 shaped to receive the rear end of a short outsole. Above the channel the heel is further provided with a reinforcing lip 55 which extends a substantial distance forwardly from the breast of the heel and is arranged to overlie the rear portion of the outsole. The upper wall of the groove 54 in the heel breast, therefore, is formed by the lower side of the lip 56 which, as disclosed in the said Lovejoy patent, is preferably of less width than the upper portion of the heel breast. The heel 52 may be further described as having a sole supporting ledge or lower channel wall which extends from one forward portion of the rim of its attaching face to the other, and as also having a shoulder formed by the bottom of the groove or channel and extending generally heightwise of the heel.

As will be seen in Fig. 8, the forwardly projecting lip 55 of the heel passes through the opening iii in the tab M so that the rearwardly extending portion ll of the tab may remain secured to the insole 24 by the tacks 32 to serve as filler material in the heel seat of the shoe. When the outsole H! has been attached with the aid of the sole attaching press provided with sole and shoe positioning mechanism, the heel52 may likewise be applied so that the lip 56 passes through the opening It to permit the extending portion I! of the tab to remain in the heel seat portion of the shoe to help fill up the space therein. In either case, however, the extending portion of the tab may be removed if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of makin shoes which comprises providin a short outsole of normal thickness which will not cover the entire heel portion of a shoe bottom, cementing to the inner surface of said outsole a tab which is substantially thinner than the outsole and projects beyond the rear edge thereof to overlap the heel portion of the shoe bottom, said tab having a transverse slot therein coinciding with the rear edge of the outsole positioning said out sole properly on the shoe bottom, thereby locating said tab in a predetermined position on the heel portion of the shoe bottom, attaching the outsole to the shoe while holding the tab in said predetermined position, and securing to the shoe a heel which conceals said tab at said heel portion and has a lip which extends through the slot in the tab and overlies the portion of the tab secured to the inner surface of the outsole.

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing a short outsole which will not cover the entire heel seat portion of a shoe bottom, securing to the rear portion of said outsole a tab adapted to overlap said heel seat portion of the shoe bottom, said tab having a transverse opening therein adjacent to the rear end of the outsole, positioning the outsole on the shoe bottom, thereby locating the tab in a predetermined position on said heel seat portion, insuring the return of the outsole to such position if it is displaced prior to its attachment to the shoe by holding said tab in said predetermined position, attaching the outsole to the shoe, and securing to said heel seat portion a heel specially adapted for use with a short outsole of adapted to interengage with the rear portion of the short outsole and having a forwardly projecting lip arranged to extend through the opening in said tab and overlie the rear portion of the outsole.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing a short outsole which will not cover the entire heel seat portion of a shoe bottom and terminates in a straight rear edge face, securing to the rear portion of the inner surface of said outsole a tab of somewhat stiif material which projects rearwardly beyond said rear edge face and is adapted to overlap the heel seat portion of the shoe bottom, said tab having a hole in its central portion and an opening adjacent to the rear end of the short outsole, applying cement to the outsole and the shoe bottom, mounting the outsole on a pad and positioning its forepart thereon by engaging its opposite edges and positioning its rear part thereon by engaging the hole in said tab, placing the shoe on the outsole while the latter is maintained in such position on the pad, applying pressure to cause the pad to force the outsole and shoe together to attach the outsole to the shoe bottom, and securing to the shoe bottom a heel arranged to interengage with the rear end of said outsole and to overlie a portion thereof, the overlying portion of said heel passing through the opening in said tab.

4. A short outsole adapted to cover only the forward portion of the bottom surface of a shoe, said outsole having attached to the inner surface of its rear portion a separate tab of different material which extends beyond the rear end of the outsole and is adapted to overlap a portion of the shoe bottom spaced inwardly from the edge of its heel portion, said tab being fairly stiff so that it can be secured to the insole at the heel portion of the shoe bottom by fastening means to serve as a hinge to permit the outsole to be lifted from, and returned against, the shoe bottom without losing its proper position relatively thereto, said tab having a hole therein which may be engaged to position the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom and having a transverse opening therein located forwardly of said hole and of the rear end of the short outsole.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing an outsole which will not cover the entire bottom surface of a shoe, securing to said outsole an extension which is adapted to overlap a portion of the shoe bottom not covered by the outsole, positioning the outsole relatively to the shoe bottom, thereby locating the extension in a predetermined position relatively to the portion of the shoe bottom which it overlaps, maintaining the outsole in such position prior to its attachment by holding the extension in said predetermined position, attaching the outsole to the shoe, and applying to the shoe a heel with a forwardly extending lip by passing said lip between the shoe bottom and the rear end of the outsole, the said extension having previously been at least partially removed to permit the passage of said lip.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing a short outsole which will not cover the heel portion of a shoe bottom, securing to the outsole a tab which projects beyond the rear edge of the outsole and is adapted to overlap the heel portion of the shoe bottom, positioning the outsole relatively to the applying to the shoe a heel with a forwardly extending lip by passing said lip between the shoe bottom and'the rear end of the outsole, the said tab having previously been at least partially re- 5 moved topermit the'passage of said lip.

WILLIAM M. ALTENBURG. 

